INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

AFPN 6504

103 Tanah Merah Coast Road, #02-01

Singapore 498750

Tel: +65 9626 8965 (Mobile)

+65 6594 5728 (Office)

Fax: +65 6594 5734

IFC_DO@defence.gov.sg

www.infofusioncentre.gov.sg

10 Mar 15

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

28 Feb 6 Mar 15

Figure 1: Location of Incidents in IFC Area of Interest

For the period from 28 Feb 6 Mar 15, IFC received information as follows:

IUU Fishing 11 Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft 1

Irregular Human Migration 2 Weapons Trafficking 0

Maritime Incident 5 Contraband Trafficking 4

Natural Event 0 Maritime Terrorism 0

Note: 1 Contraband Trafficking Incidents, 7 Illegal Fishing, 1 Maritime Incidents, and 1 Irregular Human

Migration were reported out of the reporting period.

OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS

Contraband Trafficking

28 Feb Ivory Smuggling/Colombo/Sri Lanka

Details: The Sri Lanka customs seized

359 ivory tusks in a container, arriving

from Kenya bounded for Dubai at

Colombo port. The items were declared as

scrapped plastic.

28 Feb Cooking Oil and Petrol Smuggling/Sandakan/Malaysia

Details: The Malaysian Marine Police foiled an attempt to smuggle out 36 boxes of cooking oil and 48 jerry cans of petrol hidden in four speedboats heading towards the Philippines.

1 Mar - Rosewood Smuggling/ Sipadan-

Ligitan Waters/Indonesia

Details: East Kalimantan Police foiled an

attempt to smuggle 365,772 cubic meters

of Indian rosewood between the waters of

Sipadan and Ligitan on board a boat.

Events reported outside of the period:

17 Feb Pangolin Scales Smuggling/Hong Kong/China

Details: Hong Kong Customs authorities

seized over 1 ton of pangolin scales from a

shipping container which arrived from

Kenya. This is 2nd

interception in HK of a

shipment of pangolin scales in 5 months;

in this last case scales were detected in a

container, declared as plastic pet.

Irregular Human Migration

5 Mar 15 Bangladeshis Rescued/ Chittagong Port/Bangladesh

Details: Bangladesh Navy rescued 15

Bangladeshis from outer anchorage of

Chittagong port who were supposed to be

trafficked to Malaysia. Three alleged

traffickers were detained. During the

operation, 50 contraband YABA tablets

were found.

Events reported outside of the period:

14 Feb 2 Arrested /Zamboanga City/Philippines

Details: Philippine Coast Guard detained 2

women without proper documentation

during an inspection on board a ferry off

Zamboanga City. From the preliminary

investigation, they were heading to

Malaysia.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

28 Feb 3 Fishing Boats Detained/ Munambam/India

Details: Local Authorities detained 3

fishing boats for illegal fishing off the

waters of Munambam.

1 Mar 5 Fishermen Arrested/Carles, Iloilo/Philippines

Details: Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat

Task Force arrested 3 fishermen for fishing

illegally using dynamites. The fishermen

were detained at the Municipal Police

Station of Carles, while their motorboat

and its accessories were seized by the task

force for safe keeping.

2 Mar 7 Fishermen/Kuala Terengganu/ Malaysia

Details: MMEA intercepted a boat with 7

fishermen while fishing in Malaysian

waters. Fishermen did not have proper

documentation and work permit.

Fishermen were detained for further

investigations.

2 March 24 Arrested/Puttalam/Sri Lanka

Details: Sri Lanka Navy from the North

Western Naval Command arrested 24

persons for illegal fishing off the waters of

Kalpitiya in Puttalam.

Events reported outside of the period:

5 Feb 29 Philippines Fishermen Arrested/Malangabang Island

/Philippines

Details: The Philippines Navy arrested 29

fishermen for illegal fishing using trawls

and Danish Seine off the waters of

Malangabang Island.

20 Feb 12 Philippines Fishermen/ Baliguian Island /Philippines

Details: The Philippines Navy arrested 12

fishermen and seized 5 boats for illegal

fishing off the waters of Baliguian Island.

25-26 Feb Fishermen Arrested/ Kallarawa, Nilaweli and Kevuliya/Sri

Lanka

Details: The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 18

fishermen and 20 fishermen with diving

flippers, masks, snorkels and purse-seine

nets intended to be used in illegal fishing

in two different operations, respectively.

One incident happened on 25 Feb off the

waters of Kallarawa and the other

happened on 26 Feb off the waters of

Nilaweli and Kevuliya.

26 Feb 86 Indian Fishermen Arrested/ Chundikulam and Alampili/Sri Lanka

Details: 86 Indian Fishermen were

arrested and 10 fishing trawlers were

detained by the Sir Lankan Navy for

illegal fishing off the waters of

Chundikulam and Alampili.

26 Feb 5 Philippines Fishermen Arrested/Malangas,Zamboanga/

Philippines

Details: 5 Fishermen were arrested by the

police for fishing off the waters of

Malangas, Zamboanga.

26 Feb 47 Fishermen Arrested/Kuala Terengganu/Malaysia

Details: 47 Vietnamese fishermen were

arrested and 4 fishing boats were detained

by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement

Agency for fishing illegally in the

Malaysia waters.

27 Feb Patagonian Tootfish Poaching Boat Boarded by Authority/Cocos

Islands/Australia

Details: Australian Maritime officials

intercepted and boarded an IUU fishing

vessel in the Southern Ocean. The fishing

vessel was reported as one of the vessel in

the international blacklist of IUU vessels.

Maritime Incident

28 Feb Boat Capsized/Macau /China Details: A boat carrying 16 passengers on

board capsized off Macau. 6 were rescued

while 10 were reported missing.

28 Feb Sailor Rescued at Sea/Pulau Tikus/Malaysia

Details: A 73 year old Australian sailor in

his yacht was rescued off the waters of

Kuala Baram river mouth by MMEA.

3 Mar Tug Boats Intercepted off Batam Waters/Batam/Indonesia

Details: A patrol ship detained 2 tug boats

and their crew for illegally operating

directly with ships passing through the

Malacca Strait and Batam waters without

permit from the Indonesian Authorities.

6 Mar Collision/Tanjung Ayam/ Malaysia

Details: A collision occurred between an

anchored Vietnam Flagged general cargo

ship and a Malaysia Flagged tugboat 2nm

SE of Tanjung Ayam. No pollution or

injuries were reported.

Events reported outside of the period:

23 Feb 47 People Rescued/ Quezon/Philippines

Details: Philippine Coast Guard rescued

47 passengers on board a boat stranded off

Infanta, Quezon Province.

Piracy/Sea Robbery/Sea Theft

5 Mar Attempted Sea Robbery/Batam/Indonesia

Details: 6 Indonesian perpetrators were arrested by Indonesian Navy while trying to board

an anchored vessel anchored in Tanjung Uncang waters. Perpetrators were using a slim

wooden boat powered by 40HP engine. Short sword blades, wrench and screwdriver and

blade cutters were confiscated.

Natural Events

Nothing significant to Report

Recommendations

IFC Advises:

1. All mariners to report any incidents timely to the nearest coastal state and IFC at the earliest possible time.

2. Ships moving at slow speed or choosing to remain at anchor in areas where sea robbery/theft is regularly reported to be vigilant and to adopt necessary security measures.

3. All mariners to take note on the description of the perpetrators and to take photos of the perpetrators if possible.

4. Shippers and Seafarers operating in Sulu Sea and in vicinity of East Sabah Waters are strongly recommended to be vigilant and to establish contact with both Malaysian and

Philippines Authorities to report their presence.

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

5

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

5. Shippers are advised to take note that al-Qaeda, in its recently launched English language online magazine Resurgence, has called for the disruption of global trade and shipping through acts of piracy, among other tactics. Shippers are therefore advised to exercise

vigilance and to adopt self-defensive measures as stated in BMP4, especially when

transiting narrow choke points and known sea robbery/piracy hot spots.

Note: Information herein was derived from various internal and external sources

such as Focal Points, OPCENs and other maritime stakeholders. Shippers should

remain vigilant especially in areas where the threat level is assessed to be above one

in accordance with the IFC Spot Commentary 2/14 and IFC quarterly assessment

report. Ships should apply the appropriate security measures (such as BMP4 or

Tugs and Barge Guide). Ship masters should also be aware and refer to the

Maritime Security Charts Q6112 and Q6113, both published by the UK

Hydrographic Office.

CONTACT

In case of any doubt, incident at sea, suspicious approach or unusual observed activity at sea,

please contact IFC: IFC Duty Officer:

Email : IFC_DO@defence.gov.sg or ifc_do@infofusioncentre.gov.sg

Tel : +65 9626 8965 (Mobile)

+65 6594 5728 (Office)

Fax : +65 6594 5734

The IFC seeks your observations in the course of your normal business. The IFC would like

to remind mariners to be mindful of national and international laws, company and other

policy requirements and also health and safety obligations, whilst recording these

observations. The reporting of such events to IFC does not absolve you of your obligations

towards coastal/ port/ flag authorities.